Expendables Exposed
by FictionWriter91
Summary: AU. Just what exactly are the lives of the Expendables like outside of work? This story will dive into each one's background and expose their private lives. From Toll's sister to Caesar's child, Gunner's addiction to Yin's family, and Lee's sworn revenge against the person who murdered his family to Barney's biggest secret. Friendship/Drama/Mystery/Suspense/Comfort/Hurt
1. Chapter 1

**Hi folks! So, I just finished watching all three Expendable movies, and I couldn't help but get this idea. This is before the third movie but after the second. It's AU of course. I always appreciate helpful reviews, but please don't jump ahead of me before I write the next chapter. This is my first fanfiction for this fandom, so please be kind! My plan is to delve deeper into the lives of each Expendable (my version of course), so I hope you enjoy! Without further ado, I present: Expendables Exposed.**

* * *

The plane glided along smoothly until it hit a bit of turbulence. Barney bounced in his seat while Lee's head lolled to the left. Barney smirked to himself. Lee always fell asleep on the longer plane rides. His hand twitched, however, his fingers near the handle of his knife that was never far from him. You just never knew. The others were in the back either reading, sleeping, or doing other things to stay awake or distracted. The plane bounced again, causing the bunch of necklaces in the back to jangle again. Barney flinched inwardly. Lee always said he should take them down and put them somewhere else where he could remember the fallen, but Barney wanted them right there. He could almost feel them there with him. He tapped his fingers on the wheel. Their next mission was going to be a cakewalk as far as he was concerned. As usual, his mind started to wander.

 _Will you always remember me?_

 _Always._

It was hard not to flash back to the past. Barney did his best not to. It never helped, but right now, he couldn't help it.

 _Just go!_

 _I'm not leaving!_

 _Go, Barney! GO!_

"Barney?"

Barney jolted back to the present. He swiveled to see Toll Road standing there looking at him.

"Yea?"

"You all right?"

"Just fine."

"You've got that look in your eye."

"What look is that?"

"The one that says you're thinking of something painful," Toll answered. Barney just chuckled.

"I've seen a lot of painful things," he said. Toll lifted his head to look at the dangling chains. He remembered a few of the fallen from when he started. He looked over at Lee who was now snoring a little.

"For a big warrior he sure sleeps like a little kitten," Toll joked.

"He's tuckered out. Lacy kept him busy."

"Can't believe he stayed with her after all that."

"It's not our business," Barney reminded him. He did share some concern, though, but Lee was hell bent on marrying her.

"Maybe not, but he's one of our brothers, and we protect our own," Toll went on. "I don't wanna have to pull him out of a bar somewhere cos he's drinking himself to death after she leaves him."

"I will handle that then," Barney promised.

"We getting close?" Toll asked, changing the subject. He peered into the darkness.

"Yup. Saddle up," Barney said. Toll went back to alert the other two. Yin Yang had not returned to their crew after disappearing over China from their last mission. Barney missed him.

"Hey, Christmas," Barney said loudly. Lee snored on. "Yo!" Lee gave a snort and turned his head the other way. Barney just shook his head. Bombs could go off and Lee wouldn't wake up sometimes. Yet...

"I'm gonna slit your throat," Barney whispered.

"You wish," Lee answered, opening an eye and staring at him. "You'd be dead before you reached for your knife."

"How is it that you wake up to that and not me yellin' at ya?" Barney asked.

"One of God's great mysteries," Lee answered, straightening out in his seat. "We there?"

"In five."

"Perfect."

...

In and out. It was that simple. Barney crept along the shoreline carefully with the others crouched near the front of the boat. He had scoped out this island from aerial views, and he knew they had about one shot to get this right before being swarmed. Church always gave him the hard ones, or at least he thought he did. Barney had gotten out alive from Vilena and Bulgaria. He was sure he'd make it out of this one too. He slowed the boat down to a halt. He had to hand it to Church. The guy knew how to pick a quiet boat. Toll Road, Lee, and Barney hopped off onto the shoreline while Gunner and Caesar carried on in the boat. The three slunk through the bush expertly and quietly. Their subject was in the middle of the island in the basement. A hostage of course. Church always seemed to be getting his men out of trouble. Once the cabin was in sight, Lee and Toll moved to give cover if needed. Barney surged ahead alone.

...

 ** _Flashback_**

"Barney!" Gunfire exploded around everyone. Barney barely heard his name over it. He looked around wildly until he was able to see the source of the shout. The person was shot down, and Barney raced to their side.

"No!" he screamed. "No, no, no!" He clutched his fallen partner to his chest.

"Will you always remember me?"

"Don't say that. We'll get out of here..."

"It's too late for me."

"No, it's not."

"Barney..."

"We're going."

"You go on. I'll only drag you down."

"I'm not."

"Just go!"

"I'm not leaving!"

"Go, Barney! GO!"

"NO!"

"YES!" Hands gripped at his collar. The words were whispered in his ear again. "Promise you'll always remember me." Barney felt as though he was dying inside. Not another one. He couldn't lose another one, especially this one. The answer was on his lips, and it needed to be heard in order to give peace, so he spoke.

"Always."

...

 _ **Present**_

Barney quickly killed the first two guards on the outside before stepping into the cabin. Too easy. He killed another sleeping on the kitchen chair and the other leaning propped against the wall in the hallway. What were these guys, amateurs? Barney found the door leading to the basement, and he went down the stairs slowly. He expected more guards than this. Something was wrong. His arms were tingling in that way that confirmed something was definitely up. There was a lone figure sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. If this was Trench again, Barney was gonna have a few words to say to the guy. He stepped forward carefully. This was almost too easy.

"Freeze!"

There it was. Barney froze, arm outstretched and almost within reach of the victim. He turned to see five men pointing guns at him. Where the hell did they come from?

"Weapons down!"

Right. Cos he was about to do that. Things were gonna get messy after this. So much for a covert mission. Barney swung around, unleashing his gun quickly and taking down all five within seconds. Then he sliced off the ropes binding the person to the chair. It was hard to see in the dark, but Barney almost thought the victim was a woman.

"Thank you."

Yup. Definitely a woman. Strange. Was it Maggie?

"You can thank me later after we get out of here," Barney said. He tugged on the woman's arm. "Let's go."

"Wait!" she cried. She pulled from his grasp, and he could hear her picking up something. Then a gun being loaded sounded in the dark.

"You ready now?"

"Yes. I'm not one for being unarmed," she answered. They went up the stairs together. Barney's gunfire had caused a lot of unwanted attention to rain down on them. So much for easy.

...

"What the hell, Barn?" Lee muttered, watching as the men came running like ants to sugar. Why could they never just leave a mission without having to kill half a damn army?! Lee set to work. It just wouldn't be a mission either if Lee didn't save Barney's ass at least once. Toll was firing from a distance, taking down stragglers. The knives flew so easily from Lee's hands. It was effortless. Lee did his best to make these men (teenage boys almost in some places) have no faces. He imagined them as robots, not people who had family or loved ones. He wouldn't be able to do what he did if he didn't. Lee was getting annoyed. Where were all these guys coming from?

"TOLL!" he shouted. Two were shot down while trying to catch him. At least someone else was saving his ass. He spotted Barney and a woman standing by the cabin entrance firing away. To top it off, the woman was wearing a dress. Lee could tell from the silhouette from the moonlight. What was going on?! Two more men down. Then three more. Five more. Ten more. It was endless. How were they getting out of this one?

"YAAAAA!" Caesar roared, swinging his big ass gun everywhere, sending bodies flying. Lee had to admit, that gun was cool. Barney saw his opportunity, and he yanked the woman along with him and ran for it past Caesar and towards the lake. Toll was hot on their heels. Lee shoved one more knife into skin before taking off after them. Caesar unloaded his rounds before trotting after them. The gun was heavy after all. Gunner was at the wheel of the boat.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Barney was yelling. Toll, Lee, and Caesar were on board. The woman was resisting for some reason.

"What are you doing?!" Barney shouted.

"Go around! I'll catch up!" she yelled over her shoulder.

"It's her own suicide mission! Get in here!" Lee shouted at Barney, who reluctantly hopped in. Gunner shoved the lever down to full throttle, and they followed her around the island, watching as she shot down more men and grabbed a bag from one of them. Lee was impressed. The woman had gall. They were approaching a dock where the woman was now sprinting down the length of it. Lee knew what was coming next. Sure enough, she leaped, legs flailing, and crashed into the side of the boat while clinging to the rail. Toll pulled her up and in as bullets sprayed their way. Barney, Caesar, and Toll fired back. Gunner whipped them around to head back to where their plane was hiding. Barney prayed they'd make it out alive. He spun his lucky ring on his finger absently. The woman was facing away from him, staring back at where she had come from. Lee watched Barney watching her. He was sure he wasn't the only one admiring her ability to fight. Gunner crashed the boat into the shoreline, causing Toll to topple over into the water. Toll swore at him, but Gunner just ignored him, muttering something about it being hard to navigate in the dark. They set off on foot quickly. It was only a matter of time before reinforcements arrived. Sure enough, bullets went flying as the plane neared their sight.

"Hurry!" Barney shouted. As if they needed encouragement! Lee made a mental note to talk to his friend about that useless kind of speech in a time like this. Toll and Caesar fired back while Gunner helped the woman inside and hopped in himself. Lee and Barney were right behind, and Toll and Caesar brought up the rear. They shut the door before more bullets could hit them. Barney slammed into the seat and started the plane. Lee hurried to the nose where his favorite gun was waiting for him. He let it wreak havoc for a bit before Barney got them up in the air. He crawled back down and fell into his seat with a heavy sigh.

"Close call," he commented. "Thought you said this one was easy?"

"I lied," Barney replied.

"Hey, we got a bleeder over here!" Toll shouted. Barney shoved the plain on auto pilot and rushed to the back where they were huddled around the woman pressing gauze to her arm. When she lifted her head in the light, Barney froze. Their eyes met, and her mouth rounded into a small "O."

"Helena," Barney said finally. Lee's head snapped up in the front. He had heard that name before. He rushed to the back and stopped, watching.

"Hi, Barney," Helena said quietly. Barney's fists were balled, and Lee knew he was angry.

"This isn't happening," Barney said. The others looked at each other, confused. Helena grasped the gauze to her arm tightly as she stood up, facing him.

"It's happening," she confirmed.

"You're dead!" Barney shouted. Lee felt his blood run cold. This was her. This was Helena. The love of Barney's life.

"Clearly not," she disagreed. "I knew this would happen one day."

"Son of a bitch!" Barney roared, punching the wall of the plan before turning to go back to the front seat. Helena stood there looking at Lee apologetically. Lee felt anger as well. Did she have no idea the pain she'd caused Barney? What was happening right now?

"What's going on?" Caesar asked finally, voicing what was on everyone's minds.

"Fellas," Lee said, pointing. "Meet Barney's wife."

* * *

 **So what did you think? I'm sorry if this was done before. I tried to do a scan to see if this was a new idea and didn't see it, but you never know. Anyhow, I plan on diving into the other members' lives in each chapter, so hang on for the ride!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's hoping this story attracts a few more readers! For the sake of this story, Caesar is not married with kids. Enjoy!**

* * *

The shocked silences that followed Lee's statement echoed off the walls. Lee gave her one last disapproving look before going to join Barney, who was now fuming in his seat.

"Big surprise huh?" Lee commented, sitting down. Barney made a noise in his throat that was half scoff, half growl. "What are you gonna do?"

"Not a damn thing," Barney snapped. He stuck his cigar into his mouth fiercely, scraping his teeth with it.

"So, you're just not gonna talk to her at all?"

"Nope."

"That's healthy."

"Shut up, Christmas," Barney warned.

"What? They say a good marriage is based on good communication," Lee pointed out.

"And she sure did one hell of a fine job, didn't she?" Barney scowled. The plane jolted, and the tags jingled again. Barney's skin crawled. Hers was on there, and he wanted to rip it off right now. He was beyond angry. He was enraged.

"Barney?" her voice sounded by his ear. He bit down on his cigar, tasting the tobacco.

"He's not speaking to you," Lee advised her. Helena crossed her arms.

"Real mature, Barney," she huffed. He didn't respond.

"I imagine if he were talking to you, he'd say something along the lines of f*** off," Lee told her. She glared at him.

"How about you shut it?" she asked. Lee shrugged and turned back to look out the window.

"Barney?" she tried again. "Look, I know you're upset."

"Huh!" Barney said loudly. Upset didn't begin to describe anything.

"The CIA found me and took me on board with them. I wasn't allowed to tell you." Helena shifted her feet while Barney gripped the handles tightly. She waited for him to talk, but he refused.

"It's not your fault," she said softly. "I told you to leave me behind. I didn't think I was going to live. I was practically half dead when they found me." It was getting harder and harder for Barney to not say something, and she knew it.

"They wanted me to track down Chang," she went on. Lee froze then.

"Not Wei Chang," he growled. Helena looked at him.

"You know him?"

"Do I?" Lee asked, incredulous.

"I don't know, do you? I just asked," she said, messing with him. She remembered that he got incredibly annoyed with her for that.

"The bastard murdered my-" Lee stopped himself. It wasn't something he shared. Barney was the only one who knew.

"Anyway," Helena went on, noticing Lee wasn't going to continue. "I was undercover trying to locate him, and I almost did. Well, you saw." She gave a small chuckle. "It didn't end well. He got away."

"What does the CIA want Chang for?" Lee asked.

"That's classified," she replied.

"Of course it is," Lee grumbled. Barney wanted her to go away. He couldn't stand her being so close to him.

"I guess if you're not going to talk to me, I should go sit down," she said after a while. Barney waited for her to be gone before speaking.

"Do you buy that?" he asked Lee.

"Which part?"

"The CIA finding her part?"

"What do I know?"

"I just assumed."

"Well, you assumed wrong," Lee scoffed.

"I bet Church was in on it," Barney growled. Trust the man to send him on a mission that involved his dead wife popping up. He could picture the smarmy grin now.

"Let me know when we're almost home," Lee said, pulling his hat down over his eyes and leaning back. Barney didn't respond. His mind was racing. Despite being angry at her, he couldn't help but feel love towards her still. She had been an amazing woman, and he had been devastated when she'd made him leave her behind. He couldn't help but think the whole thing had been staged. Trying not to think about her sitting back there, Barney flew on into the night. They'd be home by morning.

 **Toll Road**

It had been a strained flight home. Toll was glad to be off on his way. He felt sorry for Barney, and he hoped the two of them would work it out. He had joined the team after her "death," so he hadn't known her. Neither had Caesar. He tossed his bag into his beat up truck and hopped inside. He smiled to himself as he anticipated visiting his sister. She always cheered him up, especially after missions. When he arrived at the resident's home, he stretched his legs and covered up the scrape he'd acquired on this trip. She didn't exactly know what he did for a living. The lady at the front desk, Beth, nodded at him as he passed. He'd taken her on a date once, and he'd been afraid to ask her out again since she had been so intrigued by his mystery job. He wasn't sure she bought that he was a pilot like he'd told his sister, and he didn't want her to find out. He rounded the corner and saw his sister playing cards with one of her friends.

"Tooobeeee!" she cried gleefully. Toll smiled. She was the only one who called him by his real name, Toby. She stood and ran over to him in that crazy way of hers. She flung her arms around his middle and rocked side to side. She looked up at him with her slanted eyes. He smiled at her.

"Lindsay, baby, how are ya?" he asked. She giggled.

"I'm good."

"Keeping busy?"

"Uh huh. Lots of puzzles."

"That's my girl."

Lindsay tugged at his arm and led him over to the table she had been sitting at.

"I'm learning Solitaire!"

"Cool!" Toll exclaimed. The guy at the table waved at him.

"This is Mack," Lindsay explained. "He's new." Toll felt bad that his sister lived in a resident home instead of with him somewhere, but with his job, he couldn't leave her alone. She was very good with most things, but she had almost set his house on fire trying to cook one time, and that made his decision. She had been happy about it. There were more friends for her here. His whole life he'd been looking after her. He remembered his father's displeasure at having a child with Down Syndrome. Their mother had done her best, but when she died from breast cancer, their father wanted nothing to do with Lindsay, which meant Toll wanted nothing to do with their father. They had gone out on their own for a while, but then Toll got the job with the Expendables, and he couldn't let her be by herself for so many days in a row.

"Where did you fly to this time?" Lindsay asked, clapping her hands.

"All the way to Italy," Toll lied. As far as she knew, he was a pilot. It was the best way to describe his job and why he was gone for periods at a time.

"Wow!"

"You're a pilot?" Mack asked, impressed.

"Sure am," Toll answered. Lindsay and Mack put their heads together and whispered excitedly.

"Excuse me," a lady interrupted. "Toby, can I speak with you?"

"Sure," he agreed, stepping away from Lindsay. She was still talking to Mack anyway. "What's wrong?"

"Your sister has been showing some signs of heart burn. We took her to see a doctor while you were away," she explained.

"Is she on something for it now?"

"Yes. The doctor did express some concern about her heart, though. She's been out of breath a lot lately."

"I see," Toll said. His stomach clenched with fear.

"They just want to do some tests," she went on. "We've been trying to keep her exercising, but she refuses to join in on walks most of the time. She might just be out of shape."

"I'll talk to her," Toll promised. "And keep me posted."

"We try, Toby, but it's hard to reach you," she said, smiling grimly.

"And you are?" Toll asked, ignoring that comment.

"Oh, forgive me. I'm Nancy. I'm new," she said, holding out her hand. He shook it. "I love your sister. She's so friendly and fun. She misses you a lot, though."

"I know. I am looking to take a vacation here soon," Toll smiled.

"I'll leave you be. I just wanted to give you an update," Nancy said.

"Thank you, Nancy," he nodded.

"Tooobeee," Lindsay called. "Come play!"

"All right, but I'm warning you, I'm pretty good at cards," Toll said, moving to sit across from her. She giggled and clapped.

"You're on!"

 **Hale Caesar**

"Terry!" the little girl shouted with glee. She leaped into his open arms.

"Hey, baby!" he cried, swinging her around. "You plumb dang grew another inch on me!"

"Noooo," she giggled. He set her down and held his hand on top of her head.

"You have!" he exclaimed. "You were here last time!" He put his hand a foot lower to show her. She laughed more.

"No I wasn't! I was this tall," she said, gesturing to herself. He gave her a scrutinized look.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" she cried, still giggling.

"Is that you, Terry?" a woman called. Caesar looked to see the woman of his dreams sticking her head out the back door. She smiled at him.

"Mom! Can Terry stay for dinner?" the girl asked.

"Sure thing, Hayley," the woman answered.

"How've you been, Stacy?" Caesar asked, moving forward. Hayley raced ahead.

"Good, thanks," she replied. Caesar wished she had let him love her. She had warned him that his job would be the death of their relationship, and he recklessly believed that she had been bluffing. They didn't speak for a while until she called and told him she was pregnant, alone, and scared. He decided to help. That was five years ago now. Caesar had no idea who the father was. Stacy wouldn't tell him. He didn't want to assume the worst.

"Terry, did you bring me something?" Hayley asked hopefully. Caesar pretended to be deep in thought.

"I think...well, I'm sure I did...hang on..." he said, dragging it out.

"Terry!" she giggled.

"Oh!" he gasped. "I did!" He pulled out a chocolate bar that he'd purchased during the mission. He held it out to her, and she grabbed it eagerly.

"Not before dinner!" Stacy warned as Hayley bounded off.

"I miss the days where we were so full of energy," Caesar laughed.

"Me too."

"So how are you really?"

"Really? I'm tired. That's not new, though."

"I missed you."

"Don't, Terry. Don't do that." She looked at him hard.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. She looked away and kept chopping carrots. Caesar picked up a knife and started helping. He lived for moments like these, simple ones that didn't involve being shot at.

 **Barney**

He tried not to think about Helena being in a motel by herself. He didn't want to start feeling bad for her. She'd chosen to remain a secret from him, so he was letting her be alone.

"Hey, Knuckles," he said, opening the door to find his calico cat waiting for him. He bent to scoop up the cat, who was now eight years old. He was just a kitten when Helena picked him out. Then she'd died. He kept the cat as a reminder of her. Now, he tried not to feel irritated.

"Guess what?" he said as he moved to the bedroom to drop his bag off. "Mommy's alive!" The cat meowed and twisted to look up at him.

"I know. I was shocked too," he said. He set Knuckles down and went to get some cat food for him. He pulled out a frozen pizza for himself. He wasn't in the mood to get fancy. As he waited, he sat at the table and pressed his fingers together. He was meeting Church later, and he knew it could get messy. Knuckles wound around his legs.

"I missed you too," he said, rubbing the cat's belly with his foot. He didn't know what to do about Helena. He guessed only time would tell.

 **Lee Christmas**

He paced his apartment. So Wei Chang was wanted by the CIA. Big surprise. Lee cracked his knuckles. He wanted to hurt that man so badly. Fifteen years ago, Lee had arrived home to find his parents and sister dead. It had been a gruesome sight. Chang had left his designated mark behind so Lee knew exactly who'd done it. It was revenge for a job Lee had done. Now, it looked like Lee was finally going to get his revenge.

 **Gunner**

His home was quiet as it always was. Gunner set down his bag and sighed. He missed his brother. Things hadn't been the same since he'd found Randy on the floor dead from an overdose the year before. Gunner had taken to drinking a bit more than usual and dipping into his brother's drug stash occasionally. It had gotten him in a bit of trouble before with Barney, and it resulted in him getting shot for trying to hurt Yin Yang. It was then that he decided to smarten up a little. He walked over to the neighbor's to retrieve his dog.

"Hey, Ripper," he said as the dog leaped up onto him excitedly. "Yes, yes, I'm home."

"He missed you," Grace said, smiling. Gunner smiled back. He liked Grace. A lot.

"Thanks for watching him," Gunner responded. As always, he didn't know what to say to Grace without looking like an idiot. He and Ripper walked back to his house, and Gunner prepared dinner for them both. It was going to be another quiet night.


	3. Chapter 3

_He fell to his knees at the sight of the house burning. The smell of burning flesh was ever so strong. It made his stomach clench. The flames licked higher and higher, and he knew what had happened here. Without looking too hard, the message was found. The eyeball painted on the tree trunk in red glared at him harshly. "I see you." That's the message. He ground his teeth, his throat tightening. The scream trapped inside threatened to unleash itself onto the world. He had promised they would be safe. How had they even been found? Sirens sounded in the distance. They were too late. He was too late._

...

Lee opened his eyes slowly, the images of the burning house slowly fading away. He blinked in the darkness. His fists were clenched. An image of his sister spinning in the sunlight and laughing entered his mind, and he pushed it away. He had failed her. He had failed all of them. He wasn't going to allow himself to think happy thoughts. He didn't deserve to. A whine and a wet nose pressed against his shoulder made him turn and see Dexter standing there, wagging his tail. Lee looked to see Lacy still asleep, undisturbed by his nightmare. He slid out of bed and walked to the door, Dexter at his heels. He opened the sliding door in the living room and let Dexter out. He stood there, listening to the sounds of crickets and frogs. He had a nice place in the woods, and he liked it. Lacy complained a little about being in the middle of nowhere, but Lee liked it for exactly that reason. He watched Dexter sniff around for the best spot while he tried hard to get the images out of his mind. He debated calling Barney since he was the only other one who knew about everything, but he figured the guy was probably awake with his own issues. No sense adding to them. He couldn't tell Lacy. He didn't want to scare her. When Dexter trotted back over to him, he knelt down and rubbed Dexter's face.

"I'm gonna kill him," he said as he scratched behind Dexter's ears. "I'm gonna find him and kill him." Dexter whined and placed his paw on Lee's forearm. Lee knew he understood.

 **Toll Road**

 _Don't go._  
He was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling fan as it whirled around and around. His sister's voice was trapped in his head. She cried when he left even though he had promised he was coming back the next day. He was beginning to wonder if his decision to put her in there was a good idea. She needed family. She needed him. He fingered his ear absently. A habit he did when he was stressed. Everyone knew he got it from wrestling in college, but that wasn't exactly the truth.

...

 _"Don't you EVER call her that again, you hear me?!" Toll shouted. His fists were clenched hard, and he could barely see. His father leered at him. Lindsay was cowering in the corner, crying._

 _"It's the truth, and you know it," his father sneered. "She's nothing but a retard." Toll's fist shot out before he could even think. It clipped his father on the side of his head. Both stood there, frozen in shock from what just happened. Then his father lunged at him._

 _"Stop it! Stop it!" Lindsay screamed. Toll managed to get a few shots in, but his father was bigger. At 19, Toll was still a bit scrawny. Each blow to the ear made his entire head ring like a bell. Lindsay was bawling and still screaming. His father was actually grinning with each shot. Then Lindsay leaped onto their father's back, and it gave Toll a few seconds to get out from under him. He hauled Lindsay off before their father could hurt her, and together they ran out the door holding hands. Toll took her to his best friend's house where he knew they'd be safe. His friend's mother answered the door._

 _"What happened?!" Molly asked, staring at Toll's face._

 _"Nothing. Is Billy home?"_

 _"Right here, dude," Billy said. "Whoa. What the hell?"_

 _"I need a favor," Toll said. "Can Lindsay stay here?"_

 _"Absolutely," Molly said._

 _"Don't go," Lindsay begged._

 _"Linds, it'll be all right," Toll reassured her._

 _"No, Toby, no. Don't go," she tried again. He shook his head. Molly took his sister's hand and brought her inside. He still heard her crying._

 _"What happened?" Billy asked._

 _"Dad's lost it. He needs to go."_

 _"I'm right behind you. Let's call Jimmy too."_

 _Together, Toll, Billy, and Jim went back to Toll's house where his father was on the couch downing another beer. Toll picked up his bat from behind the door. His father started to chuckle when he saw them._

 _"Brought the Goon Squad did you?" he asked._

 _"Get out," Toll said through gritted teeth. He clutched the bat hard._

 _"Excuse me?"_

 _"Get out!" Toll shouted. Billy and Jim waited behind him._

 _"This is my home," his father said, getting up. "This is my house. You can't tell me to get out." Toll swung the bat and cracked his father's ribs. The man didn't even fall down._

 _"I said, get out," Toll said again, evenly._

 _"Or what? You gonna kill me, boy?" his father asked, snorting._

 _"I'll make you wish you were dead," Toll answered._

 _"Look at you makin' your dead momma proud," his father laughed. "Does it make ya feel like a man?"_

 _"I'll say it one more time," Toll said. "Get. Out." His father cocked his head at him. Toll heard the click of a gun, and he knew that Jim had it pointed at his father._

 _"Fine," he said after a moment. "I'll go. I don't need you or the retard anyway. Yous can look after yourselves." He stumbled past the boys, and he grabbed all his beer out of the fridge and threw it into a bag. Then he was gone._

 _"I thought that was gonna go bad quick," Billy breathed._

 _"He'll be back," Toll said. "He's not finished."_

 _"You can stay with us. Sell this dump and get an apartment," Jim advised._

 _"No, it's not good enough. I gotta get out of this town. I'm sorry, guys," Toll winced._

 _"Hey, it's been good times," Billy said, bumping Toll's fist with his. "But you do what you gotta do."_

 _Toll stayed with Billy for a few days before gathering Lindsay and their belongings and heading out into the world. His ear got worse and worse as time went on. He didn't really know what to do with it, and he wasn't going to admit to anyone that his father beat the shit out of him. College wrestling just sounded much better. It wasn't a total lie since he really did wrestle at college. He went after they found their new place. It took him a long time to go anywhere without looking over his shoulder. It took his father dying from a drug overdose to make him feel safe finally. Lindsay deserved that. Everything he did, he did for her._

...

Toll rubbed his face with his hands. He didn't like to think of his past much. Lindsay's words earlier had made them surface. He rolled over, sighing. He hoped Caesar was having a better time than him. They were very good friends, and Toll knew he was trying to get back with Stacy. He knew that was where he had been tonight.

 **Caesar**

He had said goodnight to Hayley, and, as always, Stacy wanted him to leave. It was like she was afraid to be alone with him in any way. Caesar didn't want to make waves, so he left. He drove around in the dark for a while, thinking. He didn't know who Hayley's father was, but every time he saw her, she looked more and more like someone familiar. Like him. He pondered on how to bring this up to Stacy. How did you just blurt out that you thought someone's child was also yours? It was puzzling. He was already on thin ice with her as it was. He didn't need to be banned from their home for asking a ridiculous question. As the road fell past him, his mind wandered.

...

 _"Do you love me?" Stacy asked, giggling._

 _"Of course I do," Caesar answered, kissing the palm of her hand._

 _"If we ever have kids," she said, sighing. "I hope they look just like you."_

 _"I hope they look more like you than me," he teased. "I'd hate our daughter to have my nose." Stacy's pealed laughter echoed in the room._

 _"I hope she looks like both of us," she whispered, touching his cheek._

...

Hayley most certainly looked like both of them.

 **Gunner**

He and Ripper had gone on a long walk together. Now, he was sitting and listening to the frogs croak while Ripper kept his feet warm. The stars were magnificently bright tonight. He leaned back to look. Sometimes, he imagined his brother up there watching. He tried not to think about him very often as it made him feel guilty for not seeing it coming. When he got lost in his own addiction, it made him feel close and connected with his brother. Then Barney had gone and shot him, bringing him back to his senses. He closed his eyes, thinking about the last conversation he ever had with his brother.

...

 _"You have to stop," Gunner demanded. "This has to stop." His brother, Randy, was rubbing his nose having just done some cocaine._

 _"Relax," Randy laughed. "I'm just havin' some fun."_

 _"It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt," Gunner pointed out._

 _"You're not my boss," Randy scoffed. "I can have my own fun. You can't stop me."_

 _"Look, I gotta go, but when I get back..."_

 _"Yea, yea, I know. We're gonna have 'The Talk.'"_

 _"Damn right. You have to be sober again, Randy."_

 _"Knock it off, Ted," Randy warned._

 _"We are having the talk," Gunner finished. He picked up his bag and walked away._

...

Gunner sighed. He wished he had said he loved him or something to Randy. He didn't think it was going to be the last time he ever saw him. If anything, Gunner figured he was going to die first.

"Beautiful night," Grace said suddenly, making him startle. Ripper ran over to greet her. She came up the steps of his deck and leaned against the railing.

"Uh, yea," he said. Honestly, was that the best he could do? What was with him and this girl?!

"You seem pensive," she said, turning to look at him.

"Just thinking of the past," he answered.

"Nothing ever good comes from thinking about the past," she laughed.

"You're right," he agreed. "Beer?"

"Sure," she grinned. He tossed her one.

"Your boyfriend not home?"

"I don't have one," she replied. He felt his heart skip.

"Shame," he said, taking a swig of his beer.

"Is it though? I get to do what I want when I want, and no one tells me what to do," she said happily.

"Fair enough."

"Where's your missus?"

"No woman can put up with me long enough to be called my missus," he joked.

"Hmm," Grace mused. "We'll have to see about that." He shivered. She kept her gaze on him a moment longer before turning back to look out at the view. Gunner wondered just what she was thinking.

 **Barney**

 _Just go! Go, Barney, go!_  
He tossed and turned and rolled and kicked and thrashed. Sleep was not coming to him. Knuckles had given up long ago and had abandoned ship to go sleep elsewhere. Memories of Helena kept plaguing Barney to no end. His wife was alive. What was he gonna do, just sit there and ignore that? He sat up. Church had bailed on him tonight, which made him suspicious. The guy probably knew something if he wasn't already in on it. He wanted to punch the smarmy look right off of Church's face. Giving up on sleep, Barney walked out to get a glass of water. He stared out the window. He had no idea what he was going to do.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I haven't forgotten about this story! Things have been hectic. So, this is mostly about Barney, but I will get back to the others in the next chapter. I just felt a history lesson of Helena and Barney was needed before I kept going. Thanks for reading!  
**

* * *

 _"You're really good at that," Barney noted, watched Helena shoot all the cans off the railing without blinking or pausing. He was mightily impressed with her skills, not that he'd admit that out loud. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled._

 _"Thanks," she said._

 _"You gonna join the army or something?" he teased. They were hanging out as the last day of summer faded behind them. Futures were unknown. Barney was pretty certain he'd be leaving Italy, a fact Helena was aware of. Whether he'd go to college over in America or not was to be determined._

 _"I dunno," she mused, reloading her gun. "I always thought I'd like to do contract work."_

 _"Really?" Barney asked, incredulous._

 _"For the good guys," she added, laughing. "Like CIA or something."_

 _"Ah," Barney nodded. "Cos that makes it better."_

 _"Stop making me feel bad!" she commanded, shoving him playfully. "You're just jealous cos you didn't think of it first."_

 _"I'm sad cos you'll be doing it without me," he corrected, touching her hand._

 _"Don't," she said, pulling it away. "We promised, remember? None of that stuff. You're leaving Italy with your family. No attachments left here. Got it?"_

 _"All right," he agreed, feeling even more sad inside. She was so beautiful, and he wanted to kiss her very much. They had danced around each other all throughout high school, but every time he tried to advance, she blocked._

 _"Don't look so sad, Barns," she said, turning back to her scope. "You're not missing out on much anyway."_

...

Barney blinked away the memory. It was so long ago that he had left to come to America, joined the Marine Corps and later the Air Force. He always thought about her whenever he was in combat. They had tried to exchange letters, but it didn't last as long as they hoped. Call him a romantic, but he had had plans of going and seeing her again, professing his love, but her silence scared him. He let it go. Then, a few years later, that's when it all started again.

...

 _Barney was walking back to his apartment when he stopped short. He felt the presence there before he saw it, and within seconds, he had the person in a choke hold against the wall._

 _"Still sharp," the person managed to say through his fist. He felt his defenses drop immediately. Then he saw their face._

 _"Helena!" he cried, releasing her. "I'm so sorry..."_

 _"I would have done the same thing," she said, putting up her hand. "Don't apologize for safety." She rubbed her neck absently._

 _"Are you all right?" he asked, worried._

 _"I'm fine," she grinned._

 _"What are you doing here?" He pulled her into a hug finally. She smelled like summer._

 _"I got bored," she shrugged._

 _"Seriously," he said, raising his eyebrows._

 _"I missed you!" she cried, hugging him again. "I wanted to know what you've been up to. I miss talking to you. I'm here on business and looked you up."_

 _"I'm glad you did," he grinned. He gestured for her to come inside. "We have a lot to catch up on."_

...

Barney looked at the clock. Two am. He wondered if Lee was sleeping.

 **You asleep?** he texted. Within seconds, a response came back.

 **Hell no.**

 **Meet up?**

 **Yea. Same place?**

 **See you there.**

Barney tucked his phone away and grabbed his keys. He was going for a drive.

 **Lee Christmas**

He had been expecting Barney's text. It came a little later than he thought, but it came all the same. He jumped onto his bike and raced over to their usual meeting place, an abandoned bar by the river. Lee arrived before Barney and slipped inside. The dust was hanging in the air when he flicked the light on. He approached the bar and set down their favorite drinks, waiting for Barney to arrive. He rubbed his face, trying to erase the memories of the fire and the bodies of his family.

"Shoulda known you'd still be awake," Barney chuckled, coming in and sitting beside him. "Nightmares again?"

"Yea. Stronger this time," Lee nodded. He handed Barney the beer, and they both opened their bottles.

"You didn't call," Barney noted. It was something Lee usually did when they were torturing his mind, but not tonight.

"Figured you had your own shit to deal with," Lee responded. He took a swig of his beer.

"The distraction is welcome," Barney told him. "So, what are we gonna do about Chang?"

"I'm gonna find him and take care of him," Lee answered.

"You need some help?"

Lee turned his head to look at him, smirking. Barney laughed in response. It was a stupid question. All the same, Lee knew his friend was concerned about him.

"I think I can handle it."

"Just remember I'm a phone call away," Barney said, sipping his beer slowly.

"Of course," Lee nodded. "So, what's keeping you up?"

"Helena. Memories. All of it," Barney replied. "She's stuck in my head."

"You're thinking about the beginning," Lee noted, watching his friend carefully.

"Don't we always do that when something ends or begins again?" Barney asked.

"Is something going to begin again?" Lee asked.

"She's not dead, so that makes her my wife still. I don't know what to do," Barney admitted.

"You're pissed at her."

"Hell yea, I am," Barney agreed. He banged his bottle down angrily. "She lied to me! Led me to believe she had died! Who does that to a person?!"

"I don't know if she knew at the time that she was going to be rescued," Lee said carefully. "But she still could have sent you a postcard after."

"It was Church. He's been messing with me ever since the beginning. He knew about her and me. I am going to kick his sorry ass when I see him again," Barney swore.

"I'd love to see that," Lee smirked.

"Seriously, Lee, what should I do? I don't even want to look at her right now."

"I think you should keep a distance for a bit until your anger simmers down. Then talk to her. I'm sure she has her side to tell you," Lee reasoned. They sat quietly for a bit while Barney processed this.

"I guess that makes sense," he agreed finally. He waited a beat before talking again. "Did I ever tell you how we got together?"

"Not the nitty gritty details," Lee shook his head.

"Do you mind indulging me?" Barney asked.

"Go ahead," Lee gestured.

...

 _Helena's business trip turned out longer than intended, and she spent every spare minute with Barney. They went to movies, ate out in restaurants, and went on intimate walks. Barney could feel himself falling harder for her again, but he knew better than to open his mouth because he knew she would just run again. Even though it was almost torture, the idea of not having her in his life at all seemed much worse._

 _"Why do I get the feeling that you're falling in love with me again?" Helena asked, reading his mind. They were sitting on a park bench watching the sun go down. He shifted uncomfortably._

 _"What makes you say again?" he teased, deciding to take the humorous route._

 _"You've got that look in your eyes again, like before," she said, brushing his hair from his eyes. He shivered._

 _"I don't know what you're implying," he tried. She tilted her head back, laughing._

 _"Oh, Barns," she said, gasping for air. "You never were a very good liar."_

 _"I'm not admitting or denying anything," he said, crossing his arms. "You'll just freak out like always."_

 _"What if I won't?" she asked, leaning in closer. He felt confused. This wasn't usually how this game played out._

 _"I don't understand," he said, watching her._

 _"I'm saying that maybe I am tired of running," she told him. "I'm tired of avoiding something that I've always known to be the best thing I could ever have."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"I mean that I love you, Barney. I have for a long time. I was too afraid to let you in because I didn't want to get hurt and then lose you. I thought that if we just stayed friends, then I could at least always have you," she finished, biting her lip. "Stupid, huh?"_

 _"A little," he said, a smile on his lips. She looked down, blushing._

 _"Am I too late?" she asked, looking back up at him. Barney took in all of her. Her black, flowing hair that landed just below her shoulders, her brown eyes that melted his soul, and her lightly tanned skin that he just knew was from the sun and not a tanning salon._

 _"No," he said softly. "You're not too late." He leaned in and kissed her lightly, softly. Then it became fierce and went on and on until it led to something Barney had always dreamed about. They dated for three years before tying the knot, and then Helena started talking to Barney about her original idea of contract work for the CIA, so they looked into it, and from there, The Expendables was born._

...

"Conrad, Colby, and Doc were on board as soon as we decided we were going with it," Barney finished. "Conrad of course tried to claim he was co-founder, but it was really Helena. He just couldn't stand the idea of a woman coming up with it instead of him. I'm not sorry he's dead." Lee knew all about Conrad and how Barney had to kill him over his illegal activities. Lee also knew that Barney didn't like to talk about him much as it was painful for him to think about how his former friend had gone down the wrong path.

"How is Doc?" Lee asked. He knew the man was in prison for trying to assassinate a political figure from a foreign country.

"We haven't really spoken," Barney answered absently. He wanted to bust Doc out of jail and soon. Perhaps that would be a mission in the near future. Lee finished his beer and set the bottle down gently. He knew that Barney and Doc were the only two to come back from killing Conrad. Helena and Colby had been lost, or so Barney had thought. Barney remembered Colby's death very vividly. Conrad had sliced him almost in half. Barney mourned him a lot as they had survived quite a few battles together in the Marine Corps before Colby joined his team. Colby hadn't wanted to go on the mission, but he didn't want Barney going alone either. Then, not long after Colby was killed, Helena had been gunned down, and she refused to let Barney take her with them. Barney and Doc had barely escaped as Conrad's men were everywhere. Barney blinked, wiping the memory away.

"She looked sorry," Lee said finally. Barney snorted.

"She's good at doing that," he sighed. He rubbed his head. "Guess I'll have to talk to her sometime."

"Best of luck with that," Lee said, lightly punching Barney's shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back home before my fiance realizes I'm gone."

"See you around," Barney said as Lee slipped his helmet back on and walked out the door. He finished his drink alone.

* * *

 **Now don't forget this story is between the 2nd and 3rd film, so Barney doesn't know Conrad is still alive. Also, I invented Colby as they say there was 5 original Expendables, and I couldn't remember if Tool was one or not. There isn't much information out there! lol. Anyway, this is my version, so if it's wrong, whatever ;) Just go with it :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you Mike the Red Engine for always reviewing ;) Thank you Pavs for reviewing my last chapter! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story. No flashbacks in this one, but I will probably put some in the next chapter. I am also going to say here as I've been recently saying in all my stories lately, please do not predict or guess what I'm going to do. It ruins surprises ;)**

* * *

Barney arrived back home around five a.m., and a shape was sitting on his steps when he got there. He paused, his breath catching in his throat. Of course she would be sitting there. This was Helena.

"How's Lee?" she asked.

"Fine," he answered.

"Good. I'm glad to hear he's settling down," she nodded.

"Why are you here?" Barney asked.

"Right to the chase I see," she said, standing up. "Look, Barney, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut."

"Why?"

"Church told me he'd kill you."

"Pfft. That guy is nothing. I would crush him."

"Of course," Helena said. The streetlamp made her face glow in a way that Barney didn't want to think about for too much longer.

"So why now?"

"I failed a mission," she answered simply.

"So, if you hadn't, then I would still be sitting here thinking you were dead?"

"Probably," she agreed.

"Then why are we doing this? Go back to being dead," Barney said harshly, moving past her.

"Because I can't do it anymore," she called after him. He paused at the doorway. "I missed you every single day. I spent days, months, years trying to figure out how I could let you know I was okay without Church knowing, but he always knew when I was going to reveal myself to you."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. He's kind of MIA right now."

"Why?"

"Cos he messed up too."

"Figures," Barney muttered. Knuckles meowed at the window, which happened to be open. Helena gasped.

"Is that...?"

"Yes."

"Can I...?"

"I suppose," Barney sighed, opening the door to let her in. Helena rushed to pick up the cat.

"Oh, Knuckles!" she cried, squeezing the cat tightly until he mewed loudly in protest. She let him drop to the floor. Barney avoided looking at her, but he could tell she was staring at him.

"Barns..."

"Don't," he cut her off. "I can't do this right now. You need to leave."

"Okay," she whispered.

"I'm going to find Church."

"Okay."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye? Is that...forever?"

"No. Just for now."

"Okay."

He saw her looking at his hand, his ring finger. He hadn't taken his lucky ring off yet.

"You still wear it," she said softly. He stiffened. He watched as she revealed hers on a chain around her neck.

"I don't do a mission without it," he responded. Some had commented on their interesting choice of wedding bands, skulls being a bit morbid and all, but they had loved them.

"Me either. Talk soon," she said, slipping out the door. She knew better than to push her luck. Barney felt her absence hit him hard. He had no idea how he was going to keep on pretending that he didn't want things to go back to the way they were.

 **Toll Road**

Caesar showed up at his door the next morning. He looked beat.

"Rough night?" Toll asked. He was flipping bacon over in the pan. Caesar sat down at his table with a loud groan.

"I've been doing some thinking," he replied.

"That's never good," Toll joked. Caesar snorted.

"You're right, but it happened anyway. I think Hayley might be my kid."

Toll choked on the piece of toast he had in his mouth. After coughing a little and clearing his airway, he responded.

"Come again?!"

"She looks like me. Stacy never told me who Hayley's father was, and to be honest, her birthday is roughly nine months after the last time I was with Stacy."

"Whoa. That's crazy," Toll said. He loaded a plate for Caesar and passed it to him.

"Yea. Anyway, how's Linds?"

"She's good. Sad when I leave like usual."

"That's hard."

Terry was the only one who knew about his sister, just like Toll was the only one who knew about Hayley. They were closer friends than with the rest of the crew.

"Where did you fly to this time?"

"Italy."

"Ah, Italy. So nice this time of year," Caesar laughed.

"Shut up," Toll grunted. Caesar started to eat, which made him stop talking finally.

"I think I'm going to consider taking some time off," Toll said after a while.

"Yea?"

"Yea. Lindsay needs some time with me. I need some time away from dodging bullets," Toll finished.

"Fair enough. I don't know of any upcoming missions anyway," Caesar mused.

"So how are you gonna ask Stacy if Hayley is yours?"

"I'm not."

"You're not?" Toll repeated.

"Nope. Not gonna get her all mad at me and forbid me to have anything to do with Hayley," Caesar said.

"She'd do that?"

"Yup."

"Dude. That's rough."

"I know."

"Well, sorry about that."

"It is what it is. Hey, thanks for the grub, man, but I gotta get some sleep."

"Anytime, bro."

Caesar left without another word, and Toll got ready to go spend the day with his sister.

 **Lee**

"You went out," Lacy accused. Lee opened is eyes to see his fiance standing over him with her arms crossed.

"I did," he told her. No use in lying. She already knew.

"You did?!"

Or not. Damn.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Is it me?" Lacy asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Am I somehow disrupting your sleep?"

"No, Lace, it's all me," Lee reassured her. He didn't want her to know what he dreamt about. It was bad enough he had to deal with it. She didn't need to either.

"Can I help?"

"I don't think you can."

"Are you still wanting to get married?"

"Of course!"

"Okay. It's just...you're not as enthusiastic about it lately," she pouted.

"Work has been busy," Lee told her.

"Not to mention dangerous," she said, tilting her head. She knew what he did thanks to his stint with beating up her date. He'd shared minimal details, but she knew he did violent things to people.

"Eh," he shrugged, grinning. She swatted him.

"Can I make you something?"

"Only if you do it in here," he said suggestively. She laughed as he pulled her down on top of him. Lee loved the distraction. It's what kept him sane.

 **Gunner**

He awoke and immediately felt her presence beside him. Grace. He swallowed hard. Ripper made a whimpering noise at the foot of the bed and started kicking his foot. Dreaming no doubt. Gunner lifted his head to look at the sleeping Grace beside him. What had happened last night? He lifted the covers to see that they both still had their clothes on, so...did nothing happen? How did she end up in his bed?! He tried hard to remember the night before. Grace had sat down beside him, and he had told her about Randy. They had been drinking. He knew he shouldn't be drinking as it eventually led to drug use, but some crutches were hard to let go. Gunner wondered what to do to make this less awkward than it already was when Grace woke up.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hi."

"Great night."

"Yea."

"Thanks for letting me crash here. Drunk walking is such a danger you know," she smirked. Gunner gaped as she hopped out of his bed without commenting on the fact that she was even there to start with.

"You're welcome."

"I'll see you around," she smiled disappearing from the door.

"'kay," he said, confused. What the hell had just happened? Ripper looked at him and grunted.

"Me too, bud. Me too."

 **Barney**

He hadn't even slept at all that night. He just couldn't. He watched the sun rise from his kitchen table before grabbing his truck keys and heading off to find Church. The guy owed him a damn good explanation. He spun his ring slowly. He didn't know why he left it on after the mission was over. Was he technically still married? He wasn't sure. Helena had hers still, which made him feel warm inside. Did she still love him? Did she think they'd just go back to the way things were? He didn't know what to think.

"Okay, Church," Barney said out loud. "Ready or not, here I come."


	6. Chapter 6

Barney was sitting in a bar when Church found him. It was easy. He had just put the word out, and Church magically appeared.

"What do you want?" Church asked, annoyed. He didn't sit. Barney stood instead. Without a word, he promptly gave Church a swift punch to the face. Church barely moved, but he still started to bleed. Barney shook his hand. The guy's face was like a damn rock.

"You found out about your wife?" Church asked casually as though nothing had just happened.

"Yea you son of a bitch," Barney snarled.

"Don't go PMSing on me," Church sighed, sitting finally. "I'll tell you what happened."

"I don't need to know. What I do know is that I want to take you outside and beat the shit out of you."

"Yea. Saw that coming. Look, your wife had to be kept secret from you. She was very important to our cases, and you being involved wouldn't have helped."

"Bull shit."

"Knew you'd say that. Well, Barney, I don't know what else to tell you. You wouldn't believe any of it anyway. Just be glad you got your wife back all right?"

Barney threw another punch, which Church easily dodged.

"Save those for the bad guys," he said. Barney swung again. Church blocked.

"You are the bad guy," he told Church angrily.

"You know what? I'm getting sick of hearing that. Outside," Church ordered, leading the way. Barney was right on his heels. It was the fight he'd been waiting for since he found out Helena was alive and that Church kept it from him. He got into fight mode when he noticed Church was not following suit.

"What are you doing? Fists up!" Barney shouted.

"Go ahead and kill me, Barney. I'm a dead man anyway," Church said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I f***ed up! Wei Chang got away. Do you have any idea how bad that is?"

"Pretty bad."

"Yea! So I'm dead. Your wife is probably next in line, and anyone else who was involved in getting that guy is dead too."

"Man, no room for error in your agency, huh?"

"Shut the hell up," Church growled.

"What if I told you I could help?" Barney asked. Church cocked his head.

"I'm listening."

 **Lee**

He was tapping his pen on the table thinking when Barney called.

"You get 'im?"

"Not in the way you're thinking. Look, I offered to help take down Chang. You in?"

"What kind of question is that?" Lee asked, offended.

"Of course. I'll call the others."

"Right. Thanks, mate."

"Who was that?" Lacey asked, coming into the kitchen then. Lee looked at her.

"Barney."

"You're going to work," Lacey sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"I feel like I barely see you."

"I know. After this, let's take a nice holiday, okay?"

"Where?" Lacey asked, sticking out her bottom lip in a pout.

"Wherever you want," Lee laughed, pulling her to him and kissing her cheek. "I'm sorry, love."

"Don't be. It's guys like you that keep us all safe," Lacey said, stroking his face with her hand. "Just come home, okay?"

"I will."

 **Toll Road**

"Tobee?" Lindsay asked.

"Yea?"

"Why can't I live with you?"

"Aw, Linds. We went over this," Toll sighed, running a hand across his head roughly. "I'm not home very much, and it's not safe for you to live alone." He didn't know why she was bringing this up. He thought she was happy here.

"What if I lived with other people?"

"You already are," Toll laughed, gesturing to the others around them in the common room.

"No, I meant at home."

"It just won't work, Linds. I'm sorry," Toll said sadly. She lowered her head, tears beginning to fall. Toll felt his heart break. He would love to live with his sister, but he wasn't retired yet. Then again, why was he waiting until he was dead before thinking of retiring? He was almost fifty. The job was brutal, and he never knew if he was coming back.

"You don't want to live with me," Lindsay said, getting more upset.

"No, no, no," Toll soothed. "That's not it at all I promise."

"I miss Mommy," Lindsay said.

"I miss her too," Toll agreed. He meant it. His mother had been his rock. When she died, his world had shattered. He'd been barely able to pick up the pieces.

"Dad was here," Lindsay said absently, picking at her sweater. Toll froze.

"What did you just say?"

"I said Dad was here. Last week. He thought I didn't see him, but I did."

"Did he speak to you?"

"No."

Toll stood up abruptly. This wouldn't do. That monster was not going to come near her ever again.

"It's okay, Tobee."

"No, it's not. Look, you tell me if he comes back here, okay? I will speak with him."

"He looked sad."

"What?"

"He was crying."

"I somehow doubt that."

"He was!"

"Okay, okay," Toll said before she got worked up about it. "He was upset. Did he talk to anyone?"

"No. Just watched me and left."

"Okay. Thank you for telling me, Linds."

"Where are you going? We're gonna bake soon," Lindsay said as he walked to the reception area.

"I'll be back," he promised. He found Beth behind the desk and asked her if she had seen a man watching Lindsay the week before.

"No," she said, alarmed.

"I don't have a recent photo," Toll said, reaching in and pulling out the only family photo he had still. "But this is him. It's about 35 years old or so." He tried to keep his hands from shaking. He had been 19 the last time he saw his father. He didn't ever want to see him again.

"I will alert the staff," Beth reassured him. "He won't get near her."

"Thanks. He is bad news," Toll explained.

"Okay," she nodded. "Can I make a copy of this?"

"Sure," he agreed. She scanned his photo in and gave it back to him.

"I dabble with computers, so I actually have an aging program," she admitted. "I'm such a nerd."

"I think that's cool," Toll smiled.

"Well, thanks," she blushed. "I'll work on it and post it. Take care, Toby, okay?"

"Thanks," he nodded. He went back to Lindsay, who was now donning an apron and trying to get him to put one on too. He obliged and even put on the chef's hat just to make her smile. He'd do anything to make her smile.

 **Caesar**

He hung up the phone with Barney and sighed. He looked out at Hayley playing with her dog and felt a sharp pain in his heart. He hated to leave her. He got out of his vehicle and went over to her.

"Terry!" she cried happily.

"Hey, baby! What are you doing?"

"Teaching Bailey some tricks," she replied.

"I see. What can he do?"

"Not a whole lot. That's why I'm teaching him," she smirked.

"I see. Where's your mama at?"

"Inside."

"Thanks," he said, ruffling her hair. He went in and found Stacy typing on her laptop.

"Hey," she smiled. "You're back."

"I am. Listen, I gotta go to work again, but I was thinking when I get back, maybe we could have a day together. The three of us."

"I'll think about it," she promised. He met her eyes and stared at her. The question was right there on his tongue, but he couldn't put it out there, couldn't ask it. It would change everything. He'd probably never get to see Hayley again.

"Great," he said instead. "So, uh, I'll see you later."

"Okay," she nodded. He didn't hug her or go near her. He didn't want to push his luck.

"Take care," he said, going back out the door. She didn't respond.

 **Helena**

She was stunned to see Barney at her hotel door. He didn't look so thrilled either.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"You're coming with us," he answered.

"Excuse me?"

"Church said you're doing this mission with us. We are taking down Chang."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. It's the only way you'll get cleared."

"And Church?"

"He didn't say, but I'm guessing he's gonna get the boot."

"Too bad. He's good."

"He sucks, Helena."

"Right, right. The whole lying thing."

"You can't stand there and tell me that that wasn't cruel," Barney said angrily.

"It was, Barns! I'm not denying that," Helena said. "I can't change what happened. I can only change what happens now."

"Get your stuff. We're leaving," Barney said, changing the subject.

"Barns..."

"Now."

"All right. Hold on," she said, going inside and throwing stuff into her bag. Barney couldn't believe he was doing a mission with his wife. He never dreamed that would ever happen again.

 **Gunner**

He hovered outside Grace's door with Ripper, unsure of how to begin the conversation. He was grateful she looked after his dog, but he felt bad getting her to do it all the time.

"You practicing your lines or something?" she asked, teasing. He looked up and saw her standing in the doorway.

"Um...no," he shook his head.

"You gotta go to work?"

"Yea."

"Cool. Come on, Ripper!" she called. Ripper bolted up to her.

"Thanks," Gunner said.

"My pleasure. See you soon!"

"Yea," he said again. Then she was gone. He felt like such a useless, bumbling idiot. He grabbed his bag and threw it into his truck. When he came back, he'd have to learn how to talk to her without looking stupid.

 **Barney**

The gang met up at their usual place. Barney waited for everyone to settle before talking.

"Where's Toll?" Lee asked, looking around.

"He is sitting this one out," Barney answered. He found it strange, but he didn't press Toll when he declined the job. He had sounded a little stressed out.

"So, it's just the four of us then?" Caesar asked.

"Five," Helena said, strolling into view. She snapped her gum.

"Seriously?" Lee demanded. He glared at her.

"She has all the intel on our guy, and we're gonna get him with her help. That was the deal," Barney said.

"She better be good," Caesar commented.

"Oh, I'm good," Helena said. "Don't you worry about that."

"Is she?" Gunner asked Lee in a loud whisper. He didn't answer.

"We are heading to China. That's his last known location. Once we're there, we hope to get more information. Let's go," Barney said, heading towards the airplane. Helena went to sit in the co pilot's chair when Lee cleared his throat loudly.

"That's Lee's chair," Barney said simply when she looked at him.

"You're still mad," she noted.

"Not the sharpest tool in the shed, eh?" Lee snarked. She rammed his shoulder with her elbow.

"Knock it off," Barney warned when Lee went to retaliate. He simmered in his chair instead.

"You're kidding with this?" he asked once Helena was gone.

"Nope. Church's orders."

"She better not get us killed," Lee said.

"She won't," Barney promised.


	7. Chapter 7

**I was very excited to see some new reviewers and followers! Thank you so much :) It keeps me going. Sorry it's been so long. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Toll Road**

He couldn't sleep. Lindsay's words kept playing in his mind over and over again.

 _I saw Dad. He was crying._

How? How could she have seen a dead man? He had died from an overdose almost 15 years ago. Toll didn't understand. He hadn't told Lindsay about their father dying. He had identified the body from the watch and the flask his father had always carried with him. Now, Toll was starting to think the body they'd cremated hadn't been his father's. He rolled over onto his side, suddenly missing his mother so much it hurt. He gasped from the emotional pain.

...

 _"You're my brave boy," Linda said in a whisper. Toll could only nod, the tears rolling down his cheeks. He was 17 years old, too old to cry, but they came anyway._

 _"Don't go," he managed to say. Linda reached for his hand and squeezed it as hard as she could, which wasn't much due to how weak she was now._

 _"I have to go. God's calling me home. I can't stay here any longer."_

 _"I'll miss you."_

 _"I'll miss you too, but just know that we will be together again," Linda said strongly. Toll felt his breathing tighten._

 _"What about Linds?"_

 _"She'll be all right. You will keep her safe, I know it."_

 _"Why do you have to go?" Toll asked, openly crying now. "Why can't God save you?"_

 _"Sometimes even He's done all He can," Linda whispered. "There's a reason for everything, Toby."_

 _"I don't see it," Toll argued._

 _"Honey, you gotta stop fighting this. I can't leave knowing you're not gonna be all right," Linda said. She felt weak. She knew she didn't have long, and she still had to say goodbye to Lindsay._

 _"Then I'm not all right, so you can't go," Toll said fiercely. Linda touched his cheek softly._

 _"Nice try," she tried to smile. "Toby, I need you to be strong for your sister, okay?"_

 _"Okay."_

 _"Tell her to come in," Linda said. Toll knew this was his final goodbye. He started to shake, knowing he wasn't going to be all right._

 _"I love you," Linda said softly._

 _"I love you too, Mom," Toll replied. He bent down to give her one last hug before going to get his sister._

...

"I don't feel strong, Mom," Toll whispered into the darkness. "I don't know what to do." He closed his eyes, hoping that some sort of sign would come. Sometimes he got one, and other times he didn't. This time he didn't get anything. He opened his eyes again and exhaled long and loud. If his father was indeed still alive, he had to find him before he got to Lindsay.

 **Caesar**

He rested his head on the side of the plane while Gunner worked on their weapons. Caesar didn't want to think about the job ahead. He was still thinking about Stacy and Hayley. He had done the math in his head, and he knew Hayley was his. Why was he so afraid to ask Stacy? It was his right if he was the father.

"Somethin' on your mind?" Gunner asked, pausing what he was doing for a moment.

"Naw."

"If you say so."

Caesar didn't want to tell Gunner of all people that he had a daughter. He didn't know much about the man, but what he had seen and remembered from past missions, Gunner was a hard man. He closed his eyes to block everything out and fell into a memory.

...

 _"Terry!" Stacy cried, doubling over. Caesar ran from the living room to the kitchen. He had come over to keep her company after her sister had gone on a weekend trip. Stacy had been feeling lonely and wanted someone to hang out with._

 _"What? What is it?!" he asked, frantic._

 _"I...I'm having the baby," she whispered._

 _"WHAT?! Now?! But you have three more weeks!"  
"Terry! I'm having the baby!" she shrieked, clutching her belly. "Oooohhhh!"_

 _"Shit! Okay, okay," Caesar said, trying to calm himself down. "The bag! I'm gettin' the bag!"_

 _"Car seat," Stacy managed to whimper._

 _"Yes! The car seat," Caesar echoed, switching gears and heading for it instead. "No, the bag first!" He squeaked on the floor as he changed direction and pounded up the stairs. When he came back down, Stacy was by the door and ready to go._

 _"All right. Okay," he said, guiding her to the car._

 _"Ooooohhhhh! OW!" she hollered, bending over again._

 _"Come on," Caesar said, picking her up like she was nothing and carrying her to the car. He put her into the passenger seat and buckled her in. He put the bag in the trunk and the car seat in the back._

 _"Let's go have a baby," he said, looking at her and squeezing her hand tightly. She nodded. The next twelve hours were torture, but they made it through, and Caesar was holding a small baby girl in his arms._

 _"She's so tiny," he breathed. He felt as though he might crush her with his huge arms and hands. This little girl was so precious._

 _"Nobody is ever gonna hurt you," he promised her. "Not on my watch." He looked at Stacy, who was now sleeping. She was exhausted from the labor. He sat down beside her and pretended that she was his and the baby was theirs. Maybe it was crazy, but that little girl had his smile._

 _..._

"Be there in three hours," Barney called back, shaking Caesar out of his thoughts. He even checked his arms to make sure there wasn't a baby in them.

"Showtime," Gunner grinned, cracking one of the guns into the loaded position. Caesar just smiled back.

 **Helena**

"Is there any particular reason you're hovering?" Lee asked her in his annoyed tone.

"I like to see where we're going," she answered. She knew he was Barney's best friend, but he still got on her nerves.

"It's just clouds," Lee said on cue. She rolled her eyes.

"Give it a rest," Barney ordered them. "Helena, you still have the intel on this guy?"

"Yup," she nodded.

"Give me coordinates."

"You got it," she said, heading back for her bag. She noticed Caesar napping and Gunner playing with all the toys. She had to have faith that these guys would carry out the mission and make it out in one piece. She found her maps and went back to Barney.

"She'll just hurt you again," Lee was saying as she got within earshot. She paused, listening.

"That's my decision to make, Lee," Barney replied. "Now, as you say it, sod off."

"That's offensive," Lee responded.

"Here we are," Helena said, stepping into the cockpit as Lee turned towards the window. She showed Barney the map, and he clenched his cigar in his teeth while he looked.

"Perfect. Thanks, lo-um, Helena," he finished, coughing awkwardly. Helena knew he had almost said "love" as that was his pet name for her.

"You're welcome, babe," she said cheerfully, making him blush. She flounced back to her bag, knowing that Lee would have a comment ready once they were alone again. She didn't care. Yes, she had caused him pain, but she had been in just as much pain.

...

 _"Where's Barney?!" she cried, fighting the person who was holding her. She had told him to leave, but she knew her husband. He wouldn't have gone too far._

 _"He's gone."_

 _"Where?!"_

 _"It doesn't matter. Come on, we gotta get out of here."_

 _"Who are you?"_

 _"I'm Church."_

 _"That's a stupid name."_

 _"You really wanna talk about that now?!" Church demanded as gunfire kept going off around them._

 _"Fine."_

 _Church hauled her to the nearest vehicle, and they drove off. The pain in her chest amplified the more bumps he hit and the more corners they screeched around. After about 15 minutes, they were in the clear. She looked down at the damage._

 _"I got a guy," Church said, looking at the wound in her chest._

 _"Do you now," she responded calmly. Her heart was racing. She was pretty much screwed if it wasn't taken care of pretty soon._

 _"I have lots of guys. We're almost there," he promised. She blacked out before getting there. When she woke up, she was lying in a dark room in what seemed like a basement._

 _"You're awake," Church said, standing next to her. She looked at him. "Thought you were done."_

 _"I'm a fighter," she chuckled._

 _"Good."_

 _"When can I go home?"_

 _"Well, you can't."_

 _"What do you mean, I can't?"_

 _"We're in this pretty deep, and I need you to be 'dead' for a while longer so we can get this guy. Helena, it's our only hope."_

 _"But what about Barney?"_

 _"It's just for now. If they suspect he knows you're alive, they'll kill him or use him against you."_

 _Helena knew he was speaking the truth, but it still hurt like hell to know that her husband believed she was dead. She would keep this secret until the bad guy was caught. Little did she know that she would have to keep her secret for eight years._

 **Barney**

He looked at his ring, remembering the day he first put it on. Helena had originally pointed them out as a joke, but the more they looked at them, the more they wanted them. A skull ring for a wedding band was a very unusual choice, but then again, his wife was unusual herself. He knew she was back there getting ready, and he was wondering if she was thinking about the first mission they went on together. It had been wild and crazy, but they survived and laughed about it after. He wondered if she still laughed after a mission. He knew he hadn't really in a long time. His gaze went back to the ring, and he couldn't help but think about the special day.

...

 _"Oh my," the priest said, catching sight of the skull ring. He gulped visibly. Helena giggled._

 _"Shall we?" Barney pressed._

 _"Right," the priest nodded. "Do you, Helena Rosetta take Barney Ross to be your beloved husband?"_

 _"I do," she smiled. She slid the ring on, and Barney contained his laughter as the skull glared up at him._

 _"And do you, Barney Ross, take Helena Rosetta to be your beloved wife?"_

 _"I do." Her ring went on without any hassle. Her skull had long, fluttery lashes over the eyes._

 _"Then I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," the priest finished. Barney and Helena kissed with gusto, and their witnesses clapped and cheered on. It was a very small wedding, just the four of them, but they wouldn't have had it any other way._

 _..._

"Almost there," Barney said. "Suit up!"

"You ready for this?" Lee asked.

"Oh yea," Barney nodded.

 **Yin Yang**

He was sitting in a bar and watching his brother flirt with the ladies while they waited for his boss. Yin tried not to feel nervous. His brother scared him sometimes, and it had been a long time since they had seen each other, not that either of them would admit it was just fine with both of them.

"Ah, here we are," his brother said, sitting down beside him and picking up his drink. "To life."

"To life," Yin grinned, tapping his glass against his brothers.

"You know, Jin, it's been too long," his brother said. "We shouldn't waste so much time being apart when we could be together as a team."

"It's why I'm here," Yin nodded. His brother downed his drink and smacked his lips.

"I'll be over there getting my groove on," he said, smirking. "Call me when Yoshi arrives."

"Got it."

Yin watched his brother sling his arms around two women and walk over to the dance floor. He sipped his drink, knowing he had to stay sober. Tonight was important. After all, Wei Chang wasn't a man to disappoint. If he messed up the deal, his own brother would kill him.

* * *

 **WHAAT?! Did any of you see that coming? lol I hope not. Anyway, I know I didn't delve into Gunner's past in this chapter, but I will get to him I promise.**


	8. Chapter 8

Barney braced himself as the aircraft hit the water. They skidded and bumped along until they finally stopped. Church had a guy (as usual) who had a place they could land at. Church had another guy who happened to know where Wei Chang was that night. He had said it was Chang's first appearance in a very long time, so something big must be going down.

"How long have you been trying to get this guy?" Barney asked Helena.

"Eight years," she answered quietly. "He spends a lot of time in hiding. He hasn't shown himself again until now."

"And Church just wanted you to pretend to be dead forever," Barney commented.

"Church didn't know how long Chang would stay in hiding. It's not his fault. Chang would have used you in some way if he knew I was still alive. It was for the best, Barns. When will you start believing that?"

"Let's just go get Chang, all right?" Lee cut in. "And remember, he's mine."

"Why yours? I've been waiting years to-" Helena started. Barney put his hand on her shoulder, making her stop. He shook his head slightly.

"I'm ready," Gunner said, appearing geared to the nines. Caesar walked out behind him carrying his weapons too.

"Let's go then," Barney gestured. Together, they walked into the darkness and towards the town.

 **Toll Road**

A phone call interrupted his meal, and he felt anxious when he saw it was from Lindsay's group home.

"Yea?" he answered.

"Hi, Toby? It's Beth. Your Dad is here."

"What?!"

"He wants to see Lindsay."

"Don't let him. I'll be right here," Toll said, jumping to his feet and flying out the door.

 **Yin Yang  
**

He greeted Yoshi with a bow. He knew this man was very powerful, not as powerful as his brother, Wei Chang, but close enough. He was making a deal tonight, and it had to go well.

"Wei Chang?" Yoshi asked, looking for him.

"I'll go get him," Yin answered. He gave another bow and went off to the back rooms. Chang was notorious for his women. He knocked on the door, and Yin heard some noises coming from behind it. He didn't want to know what was going on.

"What?" Chang demanded, showing his face through a crack in the door.

"Yoshi is here."

The door slammed in his face in response, and moments later it opened with a fully dressed Chang ready to go. He followed his brother back to he main room. He stood back while Chang and Yoshi talked. Yin flicked his eyes around the room, looking for danger. So far, things seemed fine. He hoped it would stay that way.

 **Gunner**

He couldn't help but think that his brother used to come to a place like this. He remembered a night when he found Randy using drugs for the first time, or so he had assumed. It hadn't gone well.

...

 _"Don't touch me!" Randy screamed, spit flying. Gunner held up his hands._

 _"I'm just trying to get you out of here before you do something stupid."_

 _"Ted, f**k off. I'm fine."_

 _"You're high..."_

 _"So what?! It's MY life. Go get your own," Randy growled.  
_

 _"We're brothers, Randy," Gunner said firmly. "I'm supposed to look after you."_

 _"Look after yourself. I'm a lost cause," Randy told him. He knocked back another shot and rubbed his nose._

 _"You're not a lost cause..."_

 _"If you ever use drugs, you'll know exactly how I feel right now," Randy interrupted. "Just go, Ted. Leave me in the past."_

 _"I'm going, but I'm not leaving you in my past," Gunner said. "See you at home."_

 _"Bye."_

 _Gunner left then. Randy was living with him because he couldn't afford a place to stay currently. He knew it was enabling him a little, but he didn't want his brother to end up on the streets. Gunner left his brother at the bar, not knowing how to help him.  
_

...

After his brother had died, he'd spiraled down into his own drug abuse, and if it wasn't for Barney, he wouldn't be here right now. He looked over at Barney then, wondering if he knew that. Barney was busy looking at Helena, which Gunner hoped things would work out for them. Barney deserved it.

 **Barney  
**

"That the place?" he asked. Helena nodded.

"What's the game plan?" Caesar asked. "Charge it or sneak it?"

"I say sneak it," Barney answered. "We don't know what we're up against yet."

"Chang has a lot of men," Helena told them. "They're very fast."

Barney noticed that Lee was gritting his teeth and flexing his fists frequently. He knew his friend was anxious to kill Chang and avenge his family.

"You gonna be all right?" he asked Lee.

"I'll be fine. Just point me in the right direction."

"Will do. All right, Caesar and Gunner, take the back. Lee, you fly. Helena, you and I will go in the front."

"The front? Are you nuts?" Helena asked. Lee was already scaling the building to get to the top. He spied the skylight quite easily. Gunner and Caesar went around to the back, leaving Helena staring at Barney.

"It's a club. Nobody is paying that much attention to the door," he reasoned.

"Yes, they do. We are committing suicide going in the front," she argued.

"We keep standing here arguing and we'll miss everything."

Helena growled in frustration but headed into the door. It was full, the music was blaring loud, and no one even looked at her. She felt annoyed that Barney had been right. She slid around the edge of the walls, scanning. She saw Barney slide in and go the other way, doing the same thing. She prayed that they could pull this off. They couldn't afford to lose Chang again.

 **Toll Road  
**

He went inside the building and found a man sitting in the waiting room with his head in his hands. Shaking, Toll approached him. The man looked up when he saw his feet. Toll immediately saw that this man was not his father, although he shared a lot of similar features.

"Who are you?" he demanded. The man swallowed, nervous.

"I'm Jim."

"Why are you here, Jim?"

"I'm here to see my niece."

"You're...what?" Toll paused, confused.

"I just found her. I know it sounds odd, but I haven't been around much. I was at war, and I stayed over there when my tours finished. I know my brother had two kids, but I can't find my nephew. I just wanted to meet them and tell them how sorry I am for not preventing their shit father from hurting them."

"You're the notorious Uncle Jim," Toll said, feeling himself relax. "Mum talked about you all the time." Jim cocked his head at him.

"You...you're my nephew?"

"Yes. Toby," Toll nodded.

"Oh, Toby. My boy. I'm so sorry."

"It's all right."

"How is Linda?"

"She died."

"Oh God. When?"

"A long time ago."

"Shit. I should have never left," Jim muttered, rubbing his head. "Your father?"

"Overdosed a while go."

"Good riddance," Jim muttered. "I know that's cruel, but he was a cruel man. I never understood why Linda married him."

"Well, it's all in the past now. You want to meet Lindsay?" Toll asked.

"I do. Will she be upset with me?"

"No. She loves family. She had a hard time understanding that Dad was a bad man."

"Well, lead the way," Jim said, standing up. He patted Toll's arm then. "You did good, son. Linda always spoke highly of you in her letters."

"I survived," Toll replied. "That's all."

Jim didn't know what else to say, so Toll just led the way to Lindsay.

 **Yin Yang  
**

He saw Barney first. He froze, not knowing what was about to happen. Why was Barney here?! His head spun around like an office chair then, looking for the others. Barney didn't usually go places alone. He started to move, trying to somehow get the message to Chang that they needed to leave.

"Not so fast, shorty," a familiar voice said as a hand gripped the back of his neck and yanked him into the back of the building.

"Barney said to keep low," a second familiar voice said accusingly.

"I got this," the first retorted. Yin looked to see Gunner and Caesar looking back at him.

"What the hell, man?" Caesar asked. "You work with the bad guys now?"

"You fools," Yin snapped. "You're all gonna die!"

"Gee, where have I heard that before," Gunner growled. Yin moved like lightning, and Gunner didn't even see it coming. Caesar made a grab for him, but he missed.

"Shit!" he cursed. Yin burst back into the crowd, searching for Wang. He saw them talking undisturbed by the far wall. He looked to see Barney watching them. He pushed through the bodies, hoping he wouldn't be seen.

 **Lee**

He watched through the skylight. He saw Yin racing towards Chang.

"Incoming," he said to Barney. "It's Yin."

"What? Are you sure?" Barney's voice came back.

"Yea. That little runt kicked me," Gunner's voice cut in. Lee smirked. Those two always had a strained relationship.

"Why is he here?" Barney interrupted.

"No idea," Lee answered. "Party time?"

"Yea. Party time," Barney confirmed. Lee waited for Barney and the others to get a storm brewing before he fell from the sky like lightning. He kept his eyes on Chang, not wanting to lose him. He wasn't going to get away this time.

 **Barney  
**

"Now!" Barney shouted. Helena took out two of the guards with guns, and Barney opened fire on the others. Caesar and Gunner waited in the back for anyone trying to escape that way. Wei Chang burst towards Barney like a freight train, and Barney started firing off shots. Chang clipped him on his way by, sending Barney falling over backwards. Yin ran past as well.

"He's out!" Barney yelled.

"I got him," Lee said back. Barney looked up at the window to see Lee disappear. Caesar and Gunner took care of the rest of the guards and nabbed the businessman Chang had been speaking with. They hauled him out the front door while Helena picked Barney up off the floor.

"Thought you were tougher than that?" she asked.

"I am. He was a bit faster," Barney answered. "Lee will get him."

"I sure hope so, or we're all dead."

"Come on. Let's go talk to this guy and see what this big deal was."

Once they were outside, Barney looked after where Lee had gone. He hoped Lee would catch Chang quickly. They didn't have much time.

* * *

 **And the tension builds...**

 **I anticipate only a couple more chapters left of this story. If any of you are interested, I am currently writing a crossover of The Expendables and Edge of Tomorrow called Edge of Expendable. It features Lee Christmas.**

 **Speaking of Christmas, I hope you all had a great holiday season and have a wonderful New Year! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**What's this? A quick update? Oh yea! I was up until 3 am last night (and tonight) finishing this story. I am going to tweak the last chapter still, but I wanted to get this posted too. The last chapter will be up in a day or two. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, Linds," Toll said, coming into her room. She looked up at him and beamed.

"Hi, Tobeee."

"There's someone I want you to meet," Toll said, moving to show her Jim. She shrank back, looking afraid.

"I don't want to see Dad," she said in a loud whisper.

"He's not Dad," Toll reassured her. Lindsay squinted at him then.

"He's not?"

"No. He's Dad's brother. Our uncle, Jim. You might not remember Mum talking about him."

"The man always at war," Lindsay said, nodding. Toll was impressed. He hadn't realized she would remember.

"That's right," Jim said grimly. "But I'm here now. I know I'm old, and you kids aren't kids anymore, but I really want to be a part of your lives. I know you haven't really had any family but each other for a very long time."

"That's true," Lindsay agreed. "You like cards?" She held up her deck hopefully.

"I love cards," Jim smiled. "What do you like to play?"

"Gold fish mostly. I can do Crazy Eights. Tobee is teaching me Solitaire."

"I love Crazy Eights," Jim said, settling beside her. She flashed her wide smile at him and started dealing the cards.

"I'll be right back," Toll said.

"Love you," Lindsay said, not looking up from her cards.

"Love you to, Linds," he replied. Jim gave him a smile as he went out to the front desk to see Beth.

"Was it him?" she asked, nervous.

"No. My uncle, his brother," Toll answered. "It explains the resemblance."

"Oh good. I was getting worried," she said.

"Just wanted to let you know," he smiled. "We'll be playing cards for a while."

"Okay," she smiled back. Toll walked away feeling a glow in his chest. Perhaps one day he would be brave enough to ask her out again, to not have such a fear that she would find out what he really did for a living. He was beginning to see his job as more of a hindrance to his social life, and he didn't like it. He was contemplating on making some changes. He walked back into Lindsay's room just in time to see her make a funny face and grab her chest.

 **Lee**

He ran faster than he'd ever run in his life. Chang was not going to escape. He watched both Chang and Yin round a corner, and he followed. He found himself on a loading dock with a bunch of containers.

"Great," he muttered. He carefully made his way through, searching. After a moment, he knew what he had to do.

"Come on Chang!" he shouted. "Don't you recognize me?! You must since you saw my photo in the house you burnt down the day you murdered my family!" His voice echoed off the metal, making a ringing noise. He heard footsteps echoing on the dock then, and Lee turned to see a figure standing illuminated by the lights of the dockyard.

"Mr. Christmas," Chang called. "It's been a long time."

"Too long," Lee said back. He gripped his knife, waiting for his chance.

"So where is Mr. New Year and Mr. Easter?" Chang asked sarcastically. "Oh, and we can't forget Mr. Thanksgiving or Mr. Fourth of July."

"Your humor kills me. I can barely stand," Lee scoffed.

"That's interesting because I'm not a funny guy," Chang retorted. Lee knew he was stalling, that Yin was probably going to jump out at him any second. He didn't want to hurt his former teammate, but he wasn't going to let Chang get away either.

"You and me, let's go," Lee said, getting into his fighter's stance. Chang smirked.

"I'm retired," he responded.

"Think of it as a retirement party," Lee shot back. Chang smirked.

"You really want to die, huh?" he asked.

"I'm not the one who's going to meet God today," Lee retorted. He threw his knife hard and fast, but Chang bent backwards quickly, the knife just missing his nose. Lee was already running towards Chang at this point, the knife being a distraction. Chang met Lee with fists, and the two of them went at each other.

 **Barney  
**

"He's not talkin'," Gunner said to Barney after he spent some time with Yoshi. "He just sits there smirking."

"What is he selling to Chang?" Barney asked Helena. "You must know. What is it you're not telling us?"

"I...I honestly don't know. Church never told me," Helena answered.

"That's just great," Caesar muttered. Helena gave Barney an apologetic look. Gunner gave Yoshi a shove before walking off to pace. Barney knelt in front of Yoshi then and looked into his eyes. Yoshi stared back.

"You don't seem like the type of guy who wants to get his neck snapped in half," Barney reasoned. "Why don't you just tell us what you sold to Mr. Chang, huh?"

"Maybe he bought, not sold," Helena said suddenly. Barney nodded.

"That suits you a little better. So what are you blowing up, huh?"

Yoshi just laughed in response.

"Okay," Barney said. "We'll take him to Church. He'll get him to talk. CIA has more ways of making dog toys squeak than we do."

"Seriously?" Caesar asked. "We're not gonna press him?"

"Nah. Church'll get it out of him. Guaranteed. Oh, and Mr. Yoshi," Barney said, looking at him again. "Church isn't as nice as we are." He signaled for Gunner to take him back to the plane with Caesar.

"Helena, you go too," Barney said. "I gotta find Lee."

"I'm going with you," she insisted. "I have to make sure Chang dies."

"If Lee has anything to do with it, he will die."

 **Yin Yang**

He had mixed emotions as he watched his brother fighting Lee. Growing up, Yin had always been bullied by Wei. He was torn by loyalty to family versus loyalty to friends. Lee was doing well to hold up his own, but Yin knew his brother very well. The man was dirty.

...

 _"Not fair!" Yin shouted, lunging. Wei backed up, laughing._

 _"Come and get it, shorty baby," he taunted. Yin jumped, but he couldn't reach. He wanted it back. It was the only toy he had ever treasured. Their father had given it to him before he went missing._

 _"Mom!" Yin yelled. Their mother appeared, drying her hands on a towel._

 _"What is it?" she asked, tired._

 _"Wei took my action figure. The one Dad gave me before..." Yin trailed off. His mother sighed._

 _"Wei, give it back."_

 _"Fine," Wei grumbled. Once their mother was out of the room, he looked directly and Yin and snapped the toy in half._

 _"No!" Yin cried._

 _"She didn't say I had to give it back in one piece," Wei smirked. Then he stalked off._

...

Yin knew his brother had a cold heart. He knew he hated Yin because he thought their father loved him more. Yin only ever wanted a relationship with his brother, but he never got one. He only ever got used. He fought so well because his brother tormented him and tried to kill him on multiple occasions. As soon as he got the chance, Yin left and never looked back, until his brother called him for help.

...

 _"Jin, I need you," Wei said into the phone._

 _"You need me?"_

 _"Yes, you heard me."_

 _"You never need me."_

 _"I do this time. Look, I'm in deep. You gotta help me get out."_

 _"You got yourself into your own mess. What makes you think I'll help you? After all the years you tortured and tormented me?"_

 _"Because you're my brother, and you do for family."_

 _Yin waited a moment before responding. He remembered their father's parting words before he disappeared._

 _"Be good. You only have each other," he had said, ruffling both their heads fondly. "You will be the only people you'll ever fully trust."_

 _Yin knew this wasn't true, but he wanted to honor his father, no matter what Wei was stuck in. He'd deal with that piece later._

 _"Fine," he agreed. "But after, we talk."_

 _"Fine."_

...

Yin could clearly see there wouldn't be any talking. Wei hadn't changed at all. Instead, he'd become such a monster, a tyrant, that Yin knew he couldn't stop him. He gripped his gun, knowing what had to be done.

 **Toll Road  
**

"Hang in there, Linds," Toll said, holding her hand in the back of the ambulance. When she had clutched her chest, she had fallen onto the floor. Jim had run for help while Toll picked her up in his arms. He knew she was having a heart attack. Now, they were riding to the hospital, and Lindsay was barely conscious. Toll knew that the risk of a heart attack was higher for her, but he always thought it would never happen to her. He was very glad he hadn't gone with Barney now. He bounced from the bumps. Jim was going to meet them there. He was scared and upset. Toll just wanted it to be over and Lindsay to be okay again. His world would never be the same again if something happened to her.

 **Lee**

Bloody, sweaty, and angry, Lee got up from the ground one more time. Chang was as beat up as he was, but he wasn't going down easy. Lee was growing frustrated. Killing him shouldn't be this hard. They clashed again, and Lee was once more thrown to the ground. He spat out blood and glared up at Chang.

"What's the matter Christmas? Too old for this?" Chang taunted. "Get up!"

Lee hated to think that this man's ugly face was the last thing his family saw. Their echoing screams got him on his feet and charging forward again. He pulled out a knife in each hand and swung. Chang bent and twisted, ducked and dodged, leaving Lee even more infuriated. They were squared off and pacing in a circle now, neither of them breaking eye contact. Then, they heard the click of a gun.

"That's enough," Yin said, aiming it at them.

"Ah, brother," Chang smiled. "About time. Finish him."

Lee was panting hard, feeling a slight flicker of fear as Yin surveyed him with a coldness he recognized all too well. Well, he wasn't going down without one last try. He roared, throwing his knife at Chang's throat the same time Yin fired his gun. Lee squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the bullet to rip through him. When nothing happened, he opened them again. Yin was standing there calmly looking at him.

"I think it was a tie," he said, gesturing to Chang. Lee looked to see his knife sticking out of Chang's throat and a bullet hole in between his eyes.

"You...you're not with him?" Lee asked, confused.

"No," Yin shook his head. "I'm working with Trent."

"Of course you are," Lee smiled.

"I must be going. And Lee," Yin said.

"Yea?"

"You never heard what I said or know where I am, got it?"

"Got it," Lee answered. Yin started to walk away then before he realized something.

"Hold up!" he shouted, making Yin turn around.

"What?"

"What did Chang sell or buy tonight?"

"He sold a bomb to Mr. Yoshi. Don't worry, we're taking care of it," Yin said, bowing slightly. Then he was gone. Lee started to limp back to the club. He caught sight of two figures coming towards him after a while.

"You get him?" Barney called.

"You know it," Lee replied, raising his hand up in the air. He didn't mention that Yin had shot him at the same time.

"Feel better?"

"Not as good as I thought I would," Lee admitted. Images of his family flashed in his mind. They couldn't be brought back.

"Well, at least you got closure," Barney said, clapping Lee's shoulder. He winced.

"You got beat up," Helena smirked.

"Bet you didn't even get dirt under your nails," Lee retorted.

"Too bad Chang didn't beat some of that attitude out of you," she commented. Lee gave Barney an exasperated look.

"She's kind of right," Barney shrugged. Lee shook his head and limped onward. It was time to go home.

 **Toll Road  
**

He sat in the row of chairs in the hallway with his head in his hands. Jim sat beside him with his head resting against the wall.

"She'll be all right," Jim reassured him. "If she's anything like her mother, she'll be tough."

"Why did you leave?" Toll asked suddenly, wanting to know. Jim hesitated.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Well, your mother and I...we were in love," Jim started. Toll felt surprise at this, but he didn't interrupt. "You see, we grew up down the road from each other, and we hung out all the time. I wanted to marry her, but I also wanted to go off to war. She didn't want me to go, but I felt duty for our country. I kept in touch, but then I was injured and taken to a hospital in Europe where I recovered. I thought they had told her, but instead they told her that I had died. By the time I got back, she had married my brother. I guess in their grief over me, they got together. It was a blow, and she didn't know what to do. I insisted that she stay in the life that she chose. We had a big fight. My brother got involved. Punches were thrown. I walked out and never came back...until now."

"Wow," Toll said.

"Here's another thing, though," Jim said, sighing roughly. "Linda told me something that my brother only suspected."

"What's that?"

Jim looked at him then.

"You're my son."

There was a stunned silence in the hallway then. Toll stared at him.

"What?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Linda was pregnant right before I left. My brother decided to do the so called honorable thing and help her raise you. He drowned his grief of losing me in alcohol, which started him on the path of being the monster he turned into. It only got worse after I came and went again. When Lindsay was born, he felt like an even greater failure. My brother wasn't always such a bad guy...life turned him that way. I know it's no excuse, but I wanted you to know that."

"If you knew you were my father, why did you leave and never look back?" Toll demanded.

"I didn't want to confuse you. You were bonded with my brother when I saw you. I didn't want to ruin my brother's new life. I regret it now."

"I don't belie-"

"Excuse me, Toby?" the doctor said, walking up to them. Toll stood up quickly.

"Yes?" Toll asked. He saw the look on the doctor's face, and he immediately knew what news he was going to get.

"I'm so very sorry," the doctor started. Toll couldn't hear anything else after that. He felt the familiar burning in the back of his throat and the prick behind his eyes of tears threatening to fall. He heard Jim give a muffled sob. He felt the doctor touch his shoulder sympathetically. He sank to the floor and felt nothing but agony inside.

His Lindsay was gone.

* * *

 **Why did I do this, you ask. Well, I'm not really even sure. I guess it's because Toll was in the third movie, so he couldn't just up and quit to be with is sister. That and I got listening to Really Slow Motion (You Will Be This Legend for Toll's scene. Collapsing Universe and Your God is Dead for Lee's fighting scenes), and their stuff is so heartbreaking at times. I am sorry if I disappointed you. I guess I'm trying to capture the harshness of life that some people get and can't catch a break from. I should also say that I'm not one of those writers where it's always a happy ending...**

 ***This chapter is also written in memory of the real Lindsay who had her life stolen from her way too soon for reasons we will never understand. I think about you every day, my friend.**


	10. Chapter 10

Caesar sat with Toll for the entire funeral. It was a small ceremony with residents from the group home there and Jim. Toll had wet eyes for the majority of the day, and he was listless for the rest.

"Thanks for coming," he said to Caesar afterwards.

"Man, I'm so sorry," Caesar said sadly.

"Don't tell the guys."

"I won't."

Toll cleared his throat.

"There's no reason for me to not do the job I've always known," he said. "I was going to quit and let Linds live with me. I was finally going to be her family."

"Oh, Toll..."

"I don't care if anything happens to me now."

"What about Jim?"

"That's his loss. He wasn't man enough to tell me he was my father until now. I don't have much respect for him at this moment."

Caesar felt his mouth go dry then. His mind went to Hayley and how she was his daughter and didn't know it. Toll had a point. He needed to be a man.

"I'm here if you need me," Caesar said.

"Thanks. I'm going to go home and pretend I don't exist for a while," Toll said, moving away. He knew he was never going to be the same. Losing his sister had been the toughest blow he'd ever experienced. Life would go on, but the pain would never leave him. He knew that. Caesar watched him go, knowing that his friend had a hole in his heart he could never get fixed.

...

 _"When we get to Heaven," Lindsay said, "will you still be my brother?"_

 _"I'll always be your brother," Toll answered. They were sitting in their mother's empty room where she'd stayed once she got sick. Their father hadn't wanted her near him._

 _"Promise?"_

 _"I promise, Linds."_

 _"Okay. I hope it's nice," she said, swinging her legs. Toll smiled a little. Her innocence was sweet._

 _"I'm sure it will be."_

 _"Mommy'll be there?"_

 _"She will be."_

 _"Good. I can't wait to see her again."_

 _"She'll love to see you again."_

 _"I want to go first," she said suddenly._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"I want to get to Heaven first. That way I won't have to miss you," she said.  
_

 _"But I'll miss you," Toll pointed out._

 _"You'll be okay."_

 _"How do you know?"_

 _"Because you're my big brother, and you're big and strong. You will miss me, but you will be okay."_

 _"That's awfully wise of you."_

 _"Thank you."_

 _"Let's not talk about it anymore, okay?"_

 _"Okay._ _I love you, Tobee," she said, resting her head onto his shoulder._

 _"I love you too, Linds."_

 **Gunner**

 _"You have two options," Barney said, looking at Gunner, who was in the midst of withdrawal._

 _"What's that?"_

 _"You can go back to it and get lost forever, or you can come out of this a stronger person and live," Barney answered. Gunner looked up at him, panting._

 _"Why are you helping me? After what I did?"_

 _"Because, Gunner, I know that somewhere down inside you're a good man, and you deserve a good life. I'm here to get you through this, and I know you will. Randy would have wanted you to."_

 _"I don't know about that," Gunner scoffed. "My brother wasn't all that interested in my life."_

 _"I bet he'd give anything for a do-over, like the one you're getting right now."_

 _"I know."_

 _"Why did you start?"_

 _"Why do you want to know?"_

 _"Because it helps sometimes to change the future when you talk about the past."_

 _"Oh."_

 _Barney waited for him to talk. He rested he chin on his arms. They were sitting in Gunner's kitchen, and Gunner was lying on the floor while Barney sat in the chair backwards. Gunner had called him because it had been too hard to bear on his own.  
_

 _"Well," Gunner began. "I guess I started because I wanted to feel closer to Randy. He was into that stuff, and I thought if it was so great, then maybe it would help me feel better. I was wrong. What started as an occasional thing turned into an every day thing which turned into an every hour thing. It consumed me. Then I realized that this was how Randy probably felt, but he was too proud to admit to me he needed help. You know the rest."_

 _"Mmhmm," Barney nodded. "Think you'll get through this?"_

 _"I have to," Gunner said, breathing hard and fighting off the urge to scream. "I have to because I have to show Randy, wherever he is, that you can have a life after addiction."_

 _"That's my man," Barney smiled. "Here, have some water." Gunner took the glass gratefully. He was glad Barney was with him. He wished now that he had been there more for Randy, but he knew you couldn't go back in time. You could only look forward.  
_

...

After a few days of hemming and hawing, Gunner made his decision. He went over to Grace's house to finally say something. To his surprise, she was in the midst of packing boxes.

"You moving?" he asked.

"Yup," she nodded. "I got a job offer I couldn't refuse."

"Oh," he said, watching silently.

"You seem sad," she commented, pausing to wipe her brow.

"Just disappointed," he replied. "You're a pretty fine neighbor."

"Why thank you," she laughed. "You're pretty fine yourself."

"Do you need help?"

"If you're offering."

"Sure."

"Okay. I have some boxes I need put in the truck," she said, gesturing. Gunner went where he was told and picked up the boxes. He felt heavy hearted as he loaded the truck. He should have known better than to believe that he'd have luck with a woman. When they were finished, she pulled the door down and latched it.

"Well," she said, dusting off her hands. "That's that."

"I wish you all the best," Gunner said, moving to go back home.

"Hang on," Grace said. "If you didn't know I was moving, why did you come over?"

"Um," Gunner said, stalling. "To say hi?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were going to ask me out on a date," she smiled, putting her hands on her hips.

"What gave you that impression?"

"The way you can't seem to form a full sentence around me? How you keep sneaking peeks when you think I'm not looking? I'm not stupid, Ted," she laughed.

"You caught me," he said.

"I'm sorry I'm moving," she lamented. "Can we keep in touch? Maybe I'll come back this way again."

"Okay," he agreed. She wrote down her new address and phone number. She handed it to him, getting on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"See you later," she said, heading for the moving van. Gunner stood in the driveway and waved as she drove away. He looked down at her note, and he smiled. As long as the door was left open, he always had the chance.

 **Caesar**

"Stacy," he said when she opened the door.

"Hi," she smiled. "You're just in time. Hayley is looking for a story."

"I need to talk to you first," he said. "Is that okay?"

"Sure," she agreed, letting him in. He hesitated, unsure of how to even start.

"Stacy," he said again. "Um, I need to know something."

"Okay," she nodded, leaning on the counter and waiting.

"Hayley. Is she...is she..."

"Yours?" Stacy finished. Caesar stared at her, taken aback.

"How did you-?"

"It's obvious isn't it? She has your features. If you do the math, it was around the time we were together that I got pregnant. So yes, Terry, she's yours."

"Oh, wow," he said. "I...I don't know what to do right now."

"You could go upstairs and tell our little girl that her Daddy's home," Stacy smiled. Caesar looked at her.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. I did some thinking while you were away, and I've realized that I've grown just too damn fond of you to let you go again. I'm sorry for everything before, for pushing you away, for not wanting to talk about it. When you left, I was scared that you wouldn't come back. I realized that I wanted you to know, I wanted you to be our family. I'm sorry it took me this long to say it. Can we promise not to let the past happen again?"

"I will never let that happen again," Caesar reassured her.

"Terry!" Hayley squealed, coming in and seeing him.

"Hey, baby," Caesar said, picking her up. She hugged him tightly. Stacy gave him a nod then.

"I wish you were my Daddy," Hayley said, giving him the best opening he could ever ask for. He set her down then and looked at her.

"Well," he said. "Today is your lucky day."

The rest of it just flowed. Hayley shrieked and squealed. Stacy laughed. Caesar hugged his girls tightly, glad that he had finally opened his mouth, and he had Toll to thank.

 **Lee**

He found Lacey in their bedroom. He stood in the doorway, looking at her. He felt grateful for her and the normalcy she brought to his life.

"Hey," she smiled, seeing him. Then she frowned, seeing his new scars. "Did you win?"

"I always win," he grinned. She came over to hug him tightly.

"I'm glad you came home."

"Me too."

"Can we go on that holiday now?"

"Of course," he smiled, kissing her. "Where do you want to go?"

"Surprise me," she grinned. "I'll go pack." He laughed as she pulled out her suitcase and started throwing stuff into it. His phone vibrated then, and he saw it was Barney.

 **Bar?**

 **Sure,** Lee wrote back.

"Barney?"

"Yea. He probably wants advice about Helena," Lee answered. "I won't be long."

"I'll be waiting," she winked. Lee shook his head, smiling, as she modeled a bikini for him over her clothes. It was going to be a great holiday.

 **Yin Yang  
**

It hadn't taken long to find the bomb, disarm it, and carry on with life. Yin didn't think much about his brother either, although the image of him dead popped into his mind every so often. He didn't feel as sorry as his parents would have wanted him to. Wei had been a terrible person all around, and an even more terrible brother. Yin didn't want to think about him anymore.

"Is it done?" Trent asked when he returned.

"Yes."

"Good. Yoshi has been taken care of by Church."

"Where's Church now?"

"He's...retired," Trent answered. "That's all I know."

"But he got it done..." Yin said, confused.

"Not the way they wanted it. He's out. It's too bad, but maybe he can have a semi normal life now."

"Well, the world can breathe for another day," Yin noted.

"Yes," Trent nodded. And that was it.

 **Barney**

"What happened to Yin?" Barney asked Lee. They were sitting in their usual bar having a beer together.

"No idea," Lee lied. Yin's warning echoed in his mind.

"I guess we'll never know if he is still a good guy or if he got turned," Barney sighed. Lee rubbed a hand over his head.

"I guess not," he nodded.

"I've been thinking about death lately," Barney mused. Lee looked at him, surprised.

"Seriously? Why? Cos you're wife came back from the dead?"

"No, no, not 'death' death. Death. As in Dr. Death," Barney corrected.

"Oh," Lee said, getting it. "We gonna bust him out?"

"I've heard there's an opportunity."

"It's your call."

Barney sipped his beer, thinking. The door opened then, and they turned to see Helena standing there.

"Thought I might find you here," she said, coming in.

"I should go anyway," Lee excused himself. "I promised Lacey a holiday."

Helena took his stool once he was gone.

"Get it all sorted out with Church?"

"Yes."

"So what happens to you now?"

"I'm a free woman," she smiled.

"Good."

"Barns, I know you don't trust me..."

"It's not that I don't trust you. I just can't believe you couldn't find some way to tell me in eight years that you were undercover but still alive."

"I told you..."

"Not a good enough reason for me," Barney said.

"Then we are at an impasse," she commented.

"I guess so."

"I wish we could let go of the past," she lamented.

"Then let's just focus on the future," Barney said.

"It's hard when you resent me."

"What do you suggest then?"

Helena thought for a while. Barney didn't know if a future together would work, not after this.

"I don't want to say it," she said, starting to cry. "I missed you so much, and we're here now. Why can't we just start again?"

"Tell you what," Barney started. "Let's just date. Keep things simple. If it goes, it goes. If it doesn't, it doesn't."

"I'll take it," she replied.

"Cheers," Barney said, holding his fist out. She bumped it with hers, smiling.

"Cheers."

He looked at her for a moment before talking again. He cleared his throat.

"Hi, I'm Barney," he said, holding out his hand. Helena looked at it and then took it, shaking it slowly.

"I'm Helena," she answered. They started talking then, and time seemed to slow. Barney had hopes for the future. He always did. If things worked out, maybe he'd quit being an Expendable. For now, he would keep on keeping on, and he was just fine with that.

 **The End**

* * *

 **It always feels good to finish a story. Thanks for reading! If you haven't already, don't forget to check out my crossover of The Expendables with Edge of Tomorrow featuring Lee Christmas: Edge of Expendable. Until next time!**


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